Carburetor



April 20 ,1926. 'v 1,581,837

C. G. BRowNE ET A1.

CARBURETO R Filed April 30, f 1924A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fflf.

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INVENTORS ATTO RNEY WITNESS:

April v[20, 1926.

C. G. BROWNE ET AL GARBURETOR Filed prii so, 1924 v 2 skieen-sheet 2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES assise? PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER G. BROIVNE AND JAMES E. KNIGHT/#VOF ST. GEORGES, GRENADA, BRIT- ISH WEST INDIES, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO KENNETH A. MCINTYRE, OF ST. JOHNS; GRENADA, BRITISH TEST INDIRE.

onnsunn'ron.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Ci-rnrsrorrrnn G. BnowNn and JAMES E. KNIGHT, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residingfat St; Georges, Grenada, British W est Indies, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carburetors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in carburetors and has for an object the provision of a carburetor which under ordinary conditions will function in' the usual manner, but whichmay'be automatically converted into a vacuum feed tank or chamber, so that the invention provides a combined gravity and yvacuum feed carburetor.

More specifically stated, the invention provides a carburetor which, when attached tc the engine of an automobile or other vehicle, will feed the engine by gravity until fue] within the fuel reservoirk or float chamber of the carburetor falls to a predeterminedy level,

(as frequently occurs when ascending a grade) whereupon a vacuum will be automatically created within thecarburetor and fuel thereforey will be fed by the vacuum system, until fuel within the fuel chamber again reaches a normal level, when the gravity feed will be automatically restored.

With the above and other objects in view, the invent-ion further includes the following novel features and details of constructiointo be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying dra-wings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure l is a sectional view through a combined gravityV and vacuum feed carburetor embodying the present invention.

on the line 2 2 of Figure l with the parts in normal posit-ion. Figure 3 is a fragmentary section illustrating the position of the vacuum feed controlling valve when the carburetor is operating as a vacuum feed carburetor.

n Figure 4 is an elevation showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to Figures l, 2 and 3 of the a single unit and includesl a bowl l0 which is preferably made of. separate sections 90n- Figure. 2 is a section taken substantially drawings, the carburetor is constructed as y nected as indicated at 1l and provides a bowl which is closed at the lower end and open at the upperend, the latter' being provided with a removable cover l2.V

Extending centrally through the bowl is a hollow tubular member 13 the walls 0f stood. The upper end of the mixing chamber-is provided with a butterfly valve 16 which ma be controlled in any suitable vinanner, w iile the lower end of the mixing chamber is provided with a restricted passage 17, axially of which extends a nozzle 18. 'The lower end of thisv nozzle is in communication with a passage 19 extending diametrically through the tubular member 13 the said passage being open at each end and communicating with the lower end of the bowl wherein is provided a fuel reservoir or float chamber 20. rIhe lower end of the tubular member is secured within an opening provided in the bottom of theV bowl 10 as shown at 2l, while a removable plug 22 located at the lower extremity of the rnozzle 18 provides access to this nozzle to facilitate cleaning'.

vThe bowl is which is secured a valve casing 2li, the latter being provided with a passage which includes a valve seat 25. The outer end of this` passage extends through a nipple 26 which is adapted for connection to a fuel supply pipe leading from a suitable source of supply. Operatingwithin the valve casing 24 is a valve27 and connected to the stem of this valve is one end of a lever 28, the latter being pivotally mounted as shown at 29 wit-hin the bowl l0. The valve connected end of the lever 28 operates within a chamber 30 provided in the valve'casing '24, the said chamber being provided with an opening which is closed by a removable plug 3l, whereby7 access may be had to the interior of the chamber.

The inner end of the lever 28'is connected to one end of a rod 32 and the opposite end of this rod is pivotally connected to a float provided' with a port 23 over Cil 1,5e1,ea'

The rod 32 is provided with spaced coiled springs 53 which are also connected stops whereby vertical movementot' the to the bracket l? in such manner that when float will aetuat-e the valve 2T.

ln the operation of the invention as thus far described, fuel will be fed by gravity to the fuel reservoir or float chamber of tlfe bowl l0 and when the fuel reaches a predetermined level in the fuel reservoir, the float will be elevated to actuate the lever and move the valve 2' to a closed position. Fuel is drawn into the mixing chamber ll and through the intake manifold into the engine cylinders in the usnal manner, the operation of the float controlling the amount of fuel within the reservoir.

Should however the gravity feed fail to properly function due to ascending a grade when fuel within the reservoir will fall below a normal level, a vacuum will be created within the carburetor bowl so as to dra-w the fuel into the fuel reservoir by the suction of the engine.

TLfor this purpose there is provided a cas- 85 which is secured to the bowl l() and ich is provided with a chamber 36. Gne w .ll of this chamber formed by a nipple Si' whose outer end is adapted to be connected to a fuel supply pipe (not shown) havingcommunication with the intake manifold of an engine. The chamber 3G is in eomn'iunication with the interior of the bowl l0 through a passage or port 3S which the lever 28 and operate in wl reg ers with a port 39 provided in the bowl. Also communicating with the chamber 3G is an air vent lO which conmiunicates with the interior ofthe bowl through the passage The chan'iber 3G is provided at its opposite ends with valve seats ll and e2, the former being; z'iormed at the inner end ofthe nipple ST while the latter is formed at the inner end of the chamber 3G and surrounds the inner end of the air vent 40. Operanmg` within the chamber 86 is a valve member i8 whose opposite ends are formedto engage the seals *-l and f2 and when engaging the :first mentioned seat will close the inner end of the nipple 37 so as to cut olli' communication with the intake manifold of the engine through this nipple and when engaged with the seat l2 to close the air intake LlO.

The valve member 43 is provided with a stein ell which is connected with one arm el' a bell crank lever which is mounted for pivotal movement as shown at upon a bracket 4&7. The other arm of this bell crank lever is provided with an openingy Li9 through which passes the upper end of a rod 50. the lower end ofthis rod being connected to the float 33 as shown at 51. The rod is provided with space-d'st'ops one of which is located upon each side ofthe arm 4S of the bell crank lever.` Secured t@ the free-vene' @fthe araiare the bell crank lever is rocked upon its pivot it will be snapped over the center by the action of these springs.

Assuming' that the fuel in the reservoir 2O has fallen below a predetermined level, the float 3?) will more downward, actuating` the valve 2T so as to admit fuel from the supply tank. *Should fuel fail to flow from the tank into the reservoir due to the relative positions of the tank and reservoir, a continued downward movement of the float will cause the upper stop 52 of the rod 50 to pull the arm 48 of the bell crank lever downward. This movement of the bell crank lever will move the valve inward from the Seat /ll weich it. normally occupies so that communication between the intake manifold of the engine and the interior of the carburetor bowl will be established through the connection with the nipple 3T and the passage 38. The valve member lf3 will move inwar( and close the air vent el() which is normally open so that suction of the engine will create a vacuum within the bowl and will draw fuel into the fuel reservoir from the source of'supply. The suction. of the eng-ine will also draw the fuel outward through the passage 38 and the nipple 37 through the feed line to the intake manifold. This operation is automatic and will continue until normal conditions resume. That is, until the relative positions of the` supply tank and carburetor are such that fuelwill feed into the carburetor by gravity. The fuel level within the reservoir will then raise causing the float to ascend, the lower stop 52 of the rod 50 eneaging the arm f8 of the bell crank lever and moving thelatter upward. The valve member/i3 will then leave the seat 42 so that the interior of the carburetor bowl will be .open to the atmosphere and the vacuum therein relieved, thev valve member continuing' to move outward until it engages the seat il to cut off supply of fuel to the enthrough the nipple 87 and the feed line.

rllhe bowl is preferably provided with a drain cock 54 and with a test cocky 55 for determining the level of the. fuel within the fuel reservoir.

lf desired, the bowl l0 may be attached to the mixingchamber 5.6 of an ordinary carburetor, in which event communication between the fuel reservoir ofthe'bowl 10 and the mixing chamber may be established through a passage 57. In this form of the ivention the tubular member 13 previously described isdispensed with. Inother respects the construction and ope ation are the same.

Itis to he understood that when a vehicle. using); my invention,V is traveling: upon a'level it operates under, the ,operation of a butterT fly valve 16; but when ascending a graderthe butterfly valve 16 is closed and the valve 43 is then set in operation, in the manner aspreviously set forth.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make euch changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention what is claimed is A carburetor of the character described comprising a reservoir, a hollow cylindrical mixing chamber extending vertically and centrally therein, a. float member encircling within the reservoir and havin,fr one end f connected with the upper end of the valve, a rod having its lower end pivoted to the upper side of the float and extending within the opposite end of the pivoted rod and including spaced stopso upon the opposite sides thereof, an auxiliary port arranged upon the opposite side of the reservoir and having a valve arranged therein and its stein extending an appreciable distance within the reservoir, a bell crank lever pivoted to the inner side ot' the reservoir and having its upper free end associated with the inner end portion of the valve stein, a rod having its lower end pivoted to the upper side of the lioat and having' its upper end received within the remaining' end of the bell-crank lever and including spaced stops upon the opposite sides thereof, and springs connecting' the lower end of the bell crank lever and corresponding side ot' the reservoir whereby rocking of the bell crank lever will cause the. bell crank lever to snap over its center.

In testimony whereof we ailiX our signatures. -e

CHRISTOPHER e. BRowNE. JAMES KNIGHT. 

